by Eric J. Lyman, Special for USA TODAY

by Eric J. Lyman, Special for USA TODAY

ROME - Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's billionaire media tycoon and sometimes prime minister, says he's back in the political game, barely a year after resigning in disgrace. But nonplussed Italians wonder whether he ever left.

Prime Minister Mario Monti said Monday that he will remain in the post only long enough for a new government to take power. Monti is leaving because Berlusconi's People of Liberty party, Parliament's largest, withdrew its support for his economic policies.

Berlusconi, 76, wants the job.

"I can't remember Italian politics without Berlusconi involved, and sometimes I think that maybe I never will," said Antonello Belli, a 26-year-old student in Rome.

Berlusconi, the most important figure in Italian politics over the past 20 years, resigned as prime minister 13 months ago amid personal and legal scandals and growing fears Italy was on the verge of falling victim to the European debt crisis.

Since Monti, a technocrat and former European commissioner, replaced Berlusconi last November, Italy's economic fortunes have improved - while Berlusconi's troubles have continued.

In October, he was sentenced to four years behind bars for tax evasion, and he remains on trial in another case alleging abuse of power and paying a 17-year-old girl for sex. But that did not stop him from believing he has been called to run again.

Last week, Berlusconi said he was "assailed by pleas" to return to politics. His allies unveiled a new website that detailed some of the highlights of Berlusconi's most recent terms in office, complete with an upward trending timeline and upbeat photos. People of Liberty canceled its primary in order to hand its nomination to Berlusconi.

Other Italians appear less enthusiastic about Berlusconi's possible return. The Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica ran a headline that read, "Return of the Mummy," while Il Fatto Quotidiano, another leading newspaper, compared Berlusconi to Batman's villain The Joker.

State broadcaster RAI broke into programming to announce Berlusconi's plans with the phrase, "It sounds incredible, but â?¦"

Thanks in part to high visibility afforded by his media empire, which includes three national TV networks, a major film studio, several print media and a top soccer team, Berlusconi burst onto the political scene in 1994 with a political party named after a soccer cheer: "Forza Italia!" ("Go Italy!").

His first term in office lasted just seven months. But he re-emerged to become prime minister in 2001, and he held the post for all but 18 months over the following decade.

Many Italians said that because of Berlusconi's media empire, his departure from politics last year meant he never completely disappeared.

"What is the difference?" asked store clerk Angela Simoneta, 30. "Nobody thinks he will win the elections. So he will speak out about things that are important to him, and he will continue to say crazy things. What changed?"

Franco Lombardi, a 51-year-old office worker who said he has voted for Berlusconi in the past, said Berlusconi is one of those people who have failed to understand when their time has passed.

"Some people never want to leave the spotlight," Lombardi said.

Even so, almost a quarter of Italians generally say they have a favorable view of Berlusconi, according to the polling firm Opinioni. That does not necessarily translate to an electoral share of that size.

"It's one thing to have a positive opinion of a figure like Berlusconi. But many of those people have positive opinions of other figures as well, and it doesn't help Berlusconi is such a polarizing figure," said Maria Rossi, Opinioni's co-director.

"If the election were held today, it's probably correct to think People of Liberty would get 12% or 15% of the vote," she added. "That's enough to have a voice in parliament, but not enough for Berlusconi to return to Palazzo Chigi (the prime minister's office) without a written invitation."